1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operating apparatus for an automatic transmission capable of selecting a predetermined position such as a parking position and a drive position and the like by moving an operating lever.
2. Description of the Related Art
An operating apparatus for an automatic transmission of this kind is structured such that, for example, in the case that the operating apparatus is mounted on an automotive vehicle, a select lever and an operating lever are integrally rotated around a pin and the pin extends between two detent plates disposed in parallel. A detent gate is formed in the detent plate and a detent having unevenness is formed on this detent gate.
The operating lever has a compression rod within a pipe, and a position pin is provided in a front end of the compression rod. The position pin is structured such that a front end portion thereof is inserted into the detent gate so as to be brought into contact with the detent. A knob button for pressing the compression rod downward and a return spring for returning the knob button to an original position are provided in a head portion of the operating lever. On the contrary, a position spring for ascending the compression rod upward and pressing the position pin to the detent is provided within the pipe.
Then, the compression rod, the position pin, the knob button, the return spring and the position spring mentioned above constitute a locking member R for inhibiting a movement of the operating lever and removing the inhibition.
In the operating apparatus for the automatic transmission structured in the above manner, the operating lever can be moved to each of positions from a parking position P1 to a first position P6 by rotating the operating lever around the pin. However, in the case of moving from the parking position P1 to a reverse position P2 and vice versa, the case of moving from a neutral position P3 to the reverse position P2 and the case of moving from a second position P5 to the first position P6, the operating lever can be moved only by pushing the knob button and moving the position pin downward.
Accordingly, in each of the above operations, the operating lever can be moved only after the inhibition of moving the operating lever is removed by the knob button. However, the operation between the neutral position P3, a drive position P4 and the second position P5 can be freely performed by moving the operating lever without pushing the knob button.
However, in the operating apparatus for the automatic transmission in accordance with the related art, since the operating lever is structured such as to rotate around the pin, the head portion of the operating lever can only move in an arch like manner around the pin.
Further, since the detent on the detent plate is formed as an arch like around the pin and the position pin is structured such as to move in an axial direction of the operating lever, a layout of the operating lever, the position pin and the detent gate is limited. Accordingly, in the case that the operating lever is disposed in such a manner as to project from a vertical wall surface of an instrument panel of the automotive vehicle, the operating lever is operated in a vertical direction, so that the operating performance is deteriorated. In order to solve this problem, it is considered that the operating lever is bent, however, this makes the structure for moving the position pin complex, so that there are problems such as an increase of a number of parts and an increase of a cost or the like.
Further, in the operating apparatus for the automatic transmission mentioned above, since the detent is provided on the side in which the operating lever extends with respect to the pin, the detent plate projects from the mounting surface so that the panels (not shown) covering the detent plate project. Accordingly, the operating lever or the panels obstruct the way when the driver moves to the assistant driver's seat or the rear seat. In this case, when the projection is lowered by providing the rotating center of the operating lever at a position lower than the mounting surface, there is a problem that the operating lever becomes long, so that the operating stroke of the operating lever becomes long.